Dear Reader:

When I came across another short anecdote yesterday…it brought about another ‘pause and ponder’ moment. The more I thought about it; the more I liked it. The spiritual anecdote went like this:

“Only a Visitor”

In the last century, a tourist from the States visited the famous Polish rabbi Hafez Hayyim. He was astonished to see that the rabbi’s home was only a simple room filled with books. The only furniture was a table and a bench.

“Rabbi, where is your furniture?” asked the tourist.
“Where is yours?” replied Hafez.
“Mine? But I’m only a visitor here.”
“So am I,” said the rabbi.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Hebrews 14: “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”

If you are like me…no matter where I travel or how amazing the trip is…I am equally as happy returning home as I was leaving it…I want to  sleep back in my bed and putter in my garden. Home…I love my home!

However, this little anecdote and scripture reading reminds us that earth is not our permanent home…that is still “yet to come.” We truly are just visitors here for such a short stay…it is a blink of the eye through God’s perspective.  (Maybe as short a stay as the alien visit in Bowman? 🙂

I think part of this “simplifying” my life and getting rid of “stuff”/ “clutter”phase I have been in for about a year now…especially around my home.. is my own personal attempt to remind myself…that my body is just a temporary shell for my soul…it too will leave the shell behind one day…just as my house, my home will be left behind also. So “Keep It Simple.” (Those who stay behind will thank you!)

And speaking of keeping things simple…How about this thought I stored away last Sunday?…A remark by our wonderful pastor, Jeff Kackley.

He made an observation that I had never considered. As the Easter Story is finishing up for this season…Jeff reminded us that we are in the habit (as a congregation) of responding to his proclamation… “The Lord is Risen” with “He is risen indeed.”  

We are so used to saying it…we never have given it much more thought than a positive cheer for Jesus and eternal life. But what if?

Jeff said…if we separate “indeed” and turn it into two words ‘ in deed’ suddenly the words take on a new meaning.

Deed is defined as an act or action that is performed intentionally or consciously. As Christians we are to live our lives as Christ would want us to live them…becoming mentors for others by our deliberate choices and actions taken through this life. Eternal life and sacrifice doesn’t and didn’t end at the cross…just like Christ still lives in us today…so does the torch we are all to carry, in His name, remain in us. Yes, in deed! He is risen!

So until tomorrow… We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah they’ll know we are Christians by our love…

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh